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Fort Cornwallis

Welcome to the American Express-Penang Heritage Trail. Fort Cornwallisstands at the very tip of the cape ofGeorge Town. Today, it is a privately-

managed cultural venue which can bevisited for a small admission fee. The

ramparts overlook the harbour in the North Channel and the portactivities which extend along the eastern waterfront. At thenorthwestern point of the fort is a Dutch cannon from 1603,called the Seri Rambai. Local women place flowers on the barrelin supplication for improved fertility. In 2000, the fort was restoredand part of the moat was reinstated.

State Assembly Buildings

Along the southern side of the field or Padang, are the StateAssembly buildings along Lebuh Light. This handsome ensembleof buildings, with Greek porticos date from the mid-19th century,formerly served as the Police Courts. From the Fort, you can walkalong the Esplanade towards the City Hall which is just across

the Padang. The Esplanade is popular among locals for eveningstrolls. At the City Hall end there is a seaside hawker centre.

City Hall

The majestic City Hall is the jewel inthe Municipal Council's crown. TheCouncil Chamber, where the 24Municipal Councillors regularlyconvene, is located on the ground floor.The small monument you see on the

Esplanade is the Cenotaph, a memorial to victims of World War I.

Town Hall

The Town Hall, like the City Hall, has a balconythat overlooks the Padang. In olden days, theelite used to gather on the balconies of theMunicipal Council buildings to view theprocessions and games held below. The exquisite19th century fountain next to the Town Hallis one of Penang's many Victorian memorials.Koh Seang Tat, who donated the fountain, livedbehind the Town Hall in a grand mansion which

once stood at the site of the present Dewan Sri Pinang. Heentertained the Duke of Edinburgh in 1869, and thereafter hisresidence was called Edinburgh House and the road leading toit was named Duke Road. From the fountain, follow the broadgrey sidewalk, keeping to the right side of Lebuh Light.

Court Buildings

The Court Buildngs today house theHigh Courts. Logan's Monument islocated in the grounds. The dedicationproclaims Logan, who died in 1869, as"an erudite and skillful lawyer, aneminent scientific ethnologist" who has

"founded literature for these settlements". Apart from being afearless advocate, the prolific intellectual was also the editor ofthe Pinang Gazette and founder of the Journal of the IndianArchipelago and Eastern Asia in 27 volumes, also called Logan'sJournals.

Convent Light Street

At the end of the road is the Convent Light St, or Convent of theHoly Infant Jesus, a girls school established by a French Sisters'Mission in 1852. Within the walled complex is one of the oldestbuildings in George Town, the bungalow of Francis Light whichdates back to around 1793. As the seat of the Penang Governmentin the early 19th century, it was called the "Government House".Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore, worked here from 1805to 1810 as Deputy Secretary to the Governor of Penang. TheConvent which took over the site then added a chapel, cloistersfor the Sisters, an orphanage, a boarding house for student boardersand many classrooms. Today, it is the most important inner cityschool in Penang and the oldest school complex in the country,

Goddess of Mercy Temple

You can walk along the church wall down Jalan Masjid KapitanKeling, formerly Pitt Street. This street which is sometimes calledthe "Street of Harmony" was reserved for the places of worshipimportant to Penang's multicultural community. Proceeding

beyond the church, you will see a Chinese temple on your right.The Goddess of Mercy Temple was founded around 1800 andfeatures a sweeping roof with ornately decorated copings andridges. Today, it is a very popular temple, visited by young andold alike offering sandalwood incense. Chinese opera or puppettheatre is performed in the granite-paved forecourt on the Goddessof Mercy's feast days, which are celebrated three times a year.

Little India

Proceed along Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, past the flower-sellers'stalls, and then cross the road toward Lebuh Pasar, formerly MarketStreet. This is the part of George Town commonly known as LittleIndia, as there are a number of South Indian stores and eatingplaces here. You may want to browse and shop for sarees, garlands,spices, trinkets, sculptures or Indian music.

Mahamariamman TempleTurn right to Lebuh Queen until you come to the MahamariammanTemple. This is the oldest Hindu temple in town, dating to 1833,with a magnificently sculptured entrance gate.

At the end of Lebuh Queen is the Penang Teochew Association,a 19th century South Chinese district association temple. Notethe granite beams and the beautifully gilded paintings of door godsat the facade. From Lebuh Queen, turn right along Lebuh Chuliauntil you come to the traffic lights, where you should turn left onto Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling. Here you will find many IndianMuslim money-changers and jewellers. The four-storey landmarkat the junction of Lebuh Chulia and Jalan Masjid KapitanKeling is a Chinese medical hall known as Eu Yan Sang.

Kapitan Keling Mosque

Cross the road to visit the Kapitan Keling Mosque, a monumental

mosque crowned by yellow domes. This is the largest historicmosque in town, founded before 1800. Originally a rectangularbuilding with verandahs and a hipped roof, the mosque has beenenlarged several times. British architects commissioned by theMuslim and Hindu Endowments Board gave the mosque its BritishMoghul Revival appearance in 1916. The elegant minaret datesfrom this time.

Walk in a counter-clockwise direction around the mosque, pastthe ablution area, the former mosque officials quarters behind themosque and exit near the old well onto Penang's own BuckinghamStreet. Turn left onto Lebuh Buckingham and you will come backto Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling. Proceed south to Lebuh Armenian.

Yap Kongsi Temple

As you approach Lebuh Armenian, youwill see the Acheen Street Mosqueminaret straight ahead in the distance,the Yap Kongsi temple on the right, andon the left, a corner coffeeshop, withthe entrance to the Tua Pek Kong

Temple next to it. The Tua Pek Kong Temple, dedicated to theChinese God of Prosperity, was formerly the base of the StraitsChinese secret society called the Tua Pek Kong Society.

Dr Sun Yat Sens Penang Base

Follow the graceful curve of Lebuh Armenian.The low and rickety shophouses on your rightsurvive from the early 19th century, when this

area was a village composed mainly of Malaysand Sumatrans. In the mid-19th century, theStraits Chinese moved into the area and builtresidential shophouses which were of a finestandard for their time. You will come to a blueshophouse on your right, No. 120 Lebuh

Armenian, which dates from the 1870s. The first owner was aStraits Chinese named Cheah Joo Seang, a trustee of the CheahKongsi. The shophouse has kept its original historic interior, withcarved timber screens and air wells.

From 1909-1911, it was the base of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, leader ofthe historic Chinese Revolution, and the headquarters of the

Lebuh Acheh

From here you can turn right onto Lebuh Acheh. In the late 18thand 19th centuries, this was the street of Sumatran and Malaytraders. The Arab and Achehnese pepper merchants of NorthSumatra, such as Syed Mohamed Alatas, were the leaders of this

community. In the old days when the Muslim pilgrimage wasmore often made by ship rather than by airplane, this street wasthe centre of Haj activities.

Pilgrims came from North Sumatra, South Thailand and theNorthern Peninsula to make their travel arrangements and embarkon the Haj. In this area, bustling with travel agencies, shops,restaurants and lodging-houses, the pilgrims mingled, shoppedand attended religious gatherings while awaiting the ships thatwould take them to Mecca. Today, there are still some shops infront of the mosque selling Islamic books and prayer accessories.

Malay Mosque, Acheen Street

The octagonal minaret marks the entrance tothe Acheen Street Mosque, founded in 1808 by

a wealthy Arab merchant prince from theAcehnese royal family. The mosque is locatedin the middle of a large compound, surroundedby detached houses which are rare survivorsof the mid-19th century village. You can walkclockwise around the mosque, passing thecemetery where the mosque founder, Tengku

Syed Hussain, is buried.

Khoo Kongsi

Coming out of the mosque compound,walk straight ahead onto Lebuh Cannon.This street is supposedly named aftera hole in the ground made by cannon

balls fired into the area during thePenang Riots of 1867. These were the

secret society wars, fought between local groups, which the Britishtried to suppress. The Straits Chinese from the surrounding clanassociations together with the Acheen Street Mosque communityformed an alliance against later Chinese immigrants and the RopeWalk Mosque community.

On your left, you will see a row of Straits ecletic-style terracehouses from the late 1930s, faced with Shanghai plaster. On yourright are a plainer row of shophouses from the late 19th century.Enter the porte cochere in the middle of the row to visit Penang'smost famous historic monument, the Khoo Kongsi at MedanCannon. You will walk through a charming street flanked by rowsof mid-19th century shophouses. Turn right and you will see therecently renovated Khoo Kongsi office building before you cometo the majestic Khoo Kongsi, a gloriously ornate late Ch'ng dynasty

temple, and the theatre building. Both were recently restored.The Khoo Kongsi is a clan association of the Leong San Tong(Dragon Mountain Hall) clan, whose forefathers come from SinKang clan village in Hokkien province. The Khoos were amongthe wealthy Straits Chinese traders of 17th century Malacca andearly Penang. In the 19th century, the clan complex resembleda miniature clan village, with its own self-government as well aseducational, financial, welfare and social organisations. The clantemple was built in 1906 when the Khoo clan was at the heightof its wealth and eminence in Penang society.

Cheah Kongsi

Like the Khoo Kongsi and the Acheen StreetMosque, the Cheah Kongsi is located in a large

compound accessible only through a narrowentrance. Coming through the gateway, youwill find a little surprise - a splendid double-storey Chinese temple with an open balconyand sweeping roof, decorated with British lionheads, standing on the edge of a small but well-kept lawn. Straight ahead is the

association's office building, with a charming heritage interior.You can ask for permission to enter the office building and thetemple during office hours.

Next steps

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The Streets ofExploring

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George Town

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Fort Cornwallis

City Hall

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Court Buildings

State Museum

Yap Kongsi

Dr Sun Yat SensPenang Base

Syed AlatasMansion

Acheen St MalayMosque

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